Basketball practice ring



May 5,1936. E. s. HAYDEN 2,039,794

'BASKETBALL PRACTICE RING l Filed Dec. 9, 1955 f T" l' www Wo' m Ffg 2/ Y 9 /Z /f 5 9a7/@ H M IN vE/v TM. 'f www 5. /fyfm 5y f// Hrm/MHG.

Patented May 5, 1936 UNI-'2T ED A STATES PAT ENTA OFFICE 10 Claims.

My invention relates to athletic game apparatus and particularly to baskets for the game of basketball.

As is well known, members of basketball'teams require and usually carry on considerable practice in throwinga basketball into an elevated basket. It is desirable that basketball playersdevelop a high degree of accuracy in so throwing the ball fromvarious. locations on the basketball floor that the ball will drop into the basket? 'The degreezof accuracy with which thefthrown ball reaches the basket .depends considerablywon the degree of arch inthe curvedi path ofk the ball through the, air.

l5 A1 gen'eralobjectrofV my inventionI is to provide means for use in basketball-practice to increase the. speedand efliciency with whichlzplayers `may acquire the ability' to properly arch:v the vpath throughtwhich;they-throw abasketb'allv into a basket;.

Amore specicobjectis'to provide an auxiliary ring supported above a basketball basket supporting ring at an acute angle'theretoawhereby playersV may throw. a .ball throughiboth the `auxiliary ring'and the/basket supportingA ring.

Another object is to provide such an auxiliary ring'which4 may be turned relativelto thebasket supporting ring' so? as lto: face :infv various directions.

Still another ,object is to providersuch an. auxiliary Aringgwhich"` may be iquickly' and :easily attached1to ordetached from abasketsupporting ring;:and whose attachment means-:issuch as to require: no modicationrof thebasket'supporting ring..

Afurther" obj ect is .to provide such fan auxiliary ring of zrugged, simplefan'd' inexpensive construction.'.

Theseiand'xother. objects andfadvantages of the 40 invention will be more Afully set'forth .in'the following :description made in connection' with the accompanying drawing; in whichlike reference characters rei er to similar parts throughout "the several views, and inwhichz- Fig; V1 isaisidevi'ew oiafb'asketball basket and back boardr` with: my auxiliary J ringi..A operatively associated therewith;

Fig.:2,is' aftop view;

Fig. 3 isazfront'view' ofpmy. auxiliary iring when not associated with a basket supporting ring, and

Figsr4;..5andi6iare detail views of the means by which my auxiliary ring is attached to a basket supporting ring.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a basketball basket B, a basket supporting ring R and a verticalV backboard A, all of which are of conventional construction and of which the ring R is supported'fromthe forward face of the backboard A in a horizontal plane by means of a mounting bracket M secured to and projecting forwardly from the backboard A as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

My device includes .an auxiliary ring T substantially similar in diameter to the basketsupporting ring R' and supported in general thereabove at an acute angle thereto by suitable supporting means. Preferably the lower forward portion of the auxiliary ringf 1 'is disposed a moderate distance above and forwardly'of the forward portion of thek basket supporting ring R.Y as shown.

While the device may be constructed and-used with an acute angle between theauxiliary ring 1 and the basket supporting ring R.' of various numbers of angular degrees ithas been found preferable that this `angle be approximately 5'7 degrees.

Supporting means is provided for the auxiliary ring 1 enabling rapid andeasy-placement of the auxli'aryring 1 "into and out 'of its normal operative' association with thebasket supporting ring R; and permitting bodily adjustive rotation of theiinclinedv auxiliary ring'lirelative to the basket supporting ring R' about a-vertical axis preferablyY centered relative to the basket supporting ring R. While various types-of supportingrneans may be devised to meet the above stated vrequirements, Ihave shown a supporting means particularly'wellfsuited for use as a part of my device.

My auxiliary ring supporting means includes a mounting ring 8 adapted to normally rest upon the basket supporting-ring R and approximately similar thereto in dimensions. Connecting elements 9 and IU extend'between respective corresponding kpoints on the'auxiliary ringv 'l' and the mountingring 8 and are secured at their'respective ends to the rings 'l and 8 by suitable means such as Welding or brazing;

Meansisprovided for retaining the mounting ring inzthe position thereof relative to the basket supporting ring previouslyV described. To this end the rear half of` the mounting ring'8 is provided at each of respective circumferentially spaced pointsV thereon with an element, such as theelement I I, shown in Fig. 4, forfengaginglthe basket suppo-rting ring R: TheY element H consistspf a'curvedlclaW-'lik'e hook projecting from the inner side of the mounting ring 8 first inwardly, then downwardly and iinally outwardly, as shown. The proportions of the hook Il are such that a portion of the basket supporting ring R may be received between the lower side of the ring R and the upper side of the outwardly projecting portion of the hook II with but slight clearance.

The forwardmost portion of the mounting ring 8, closely adjacent the connecting element IIJ, is provided with means for detachably securing said portion of the mounting ring 8 to a portion of the basket supporting ring R registering therewith. For this purpose an outwardly projecting lug I2, having a vertical aperture I2a therethrough is formed on the mounting ring 8 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The screw-threaded shank I 3a of a hook I 3 extends upwardly through the aperture I3a and carries a thumbnut on the portion thereof projecting above the lug I2. The hook I3 is shaped and proportioned for engagement with the lower side of a portion of the basket supporting ring R so that drawing up of the thumbnut I4 will pull the hook I3 upwardly to clamp the rings 8 and R together.

When the thumbnut I4 is loosened slightly the described clamping effect is eliminated to permit rotation of the ring 8 relative to the ring R about the common vertical axis thereof.

When the thumbnut I4 is loosened further the hook I3 may be swung to a position wherein no portion thereof underlies the ring R, thus permitting upward and/or forward movement of the forward portion of the ring 8 relative to the ring R for purposes of removal. Forward movement of the ring 8, of course, withdraws the rear hooks II from engagement with the ring R whereby the ring 8 is completely free of thering R for removal therefrom. Y

'I'he purpose of my device in normal use thereof in basketball practice is to tend to force a player to so throw a ball that the arched path thereof toward the ring R will'have such a degree of arch that the ball will pass rst through the auxiliary ring I and then through the basket supporting ring R. It has been found that a degree of arch enabling a ball to pass through both of the rings 'I and R as described may be rapidly attained by a player by practicing with the aid of my device and that use of such'a degree of arch greatly improves the accuracy with which a player may drop a ball through the ring R after my device has been removed from the ring R.

As previously described, loosening of the thumbnut I4 enables adjustive rotation of the mounting ring 8 so that the auxiliary ring I may be faced in Various directions and thus enable practice in throwing the ball from vario-us positions on the basketball floor.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel, simple, rugged, inexpensive and effective device for use in basketball practice and which` may be readily and easily attached to, detached from and adjustively rotated on the usual basket supporting ring.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, proportions and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, and in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and deiined in the appended claims.

VWhat is claimed is:-

1. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring, an auxiliary ring and means supporting said auxiliary ring in general above said supporting ring in a plane disposed at an acute angle from the plane of said supporting ring.

2. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring and back board, an auxiliary ring disposed in general above said supporting ring and in a plane sloping downwardly and in general forwardly relative to the plane of said board and means for supporting said auxiliary ring.

3. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring and back board, an auxiliary ring and means supporting said auxiliary ring from said supporting ring in general thereabove and in a plane sloping downwardly and in general forwardly relative to the plane of said back board.

4. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring and backboard, an auxiliary ring disposed in general above said supporting ring at an acute angle relative thereto and supporting means for said sloping auxiliary ring so arranged Ythat said sloping ring is adjustably rotatable relative to said supporting ring about a vertical axis. n

5. 'I'he structure defined in claim 4 and said vertical axis being located centrally ofsaid supporting ring.

6. The structure defined in claim 4 and-releasable means for holding said sloping ring in any adjusted position thereof.

7. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring, a mounting ring generally similar in size to said supporting ring and resting thereupon, means normally preventing lateral shifting and. permitting adjustive rotation of said mounting ring relative to said supporting ring andan auxiliary ring supported from said mounting ring and disposed in general thereabove at an acute angle thereto. y

8. Thefstructure defined in claim 7 and releasable means for securing said mounting ring in an adjusted position relative to said supporting ring.

9. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring, amounting ring generally similar in size to said supporting ring and adapted to be placed thereon for support therefrom, releasable means for securing said mounting ring to said supporting ring, and an auxiliary ring supported from said mounting ring and disposed in general thereabove at an acute angle thereto.

10. In combination with a basketball basket supporting ring, a mounting ring generally similar in size to said supporting ring and adapted to be placed thereon for support therefrom, an anchoring element at each of circumferentially spaced points on the rear half of one of said rings extending from the inner side of said one of the rings generally vertically past the other of said rings and then rearwardly for receiving and partially encircling a portion of said other ring, clamping means at the forward portions of said rings for releasably securing said portions to each other and an auxiliary ring supported from said mounting ring and disposed in general thereabove at an acute angle thereto.

EDWARD S. HAYDEN. 

